


but we're a million worlds apart

by gaypetersimmonds



Category: bare: A Pop Opera - Hartmere/Intrabartolo
Genre: F/F, Lesbian Nadia McConnell, inspired by If I Could Tell Her, takes place between 911 emergency and reputation stain'd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-26 02:42:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13848390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaypetersimmonds/pseuds/gaypetersimmonds
Summary: “Does…” Ivy sighed and set her sketchbook on her bedside table. “Does Jason ever… talk about me?”He absolutely did not, Nadia knew that he only thought of Ivy as a friend, but the way Ivy’s eyes lit up and the way she smiled so wide… Nadia couldn’t help but want to make her do it again.





	but we're a million worlds apart

Nadia McConnell may only be playing The Nurse, but she knew that she was the best actress in St Cecelia’s.

She acted like she didn’t stare at the other girls during gym class. 

She acted like she wasn’t aware of Jason and Peter’s secret glances. 

She acted like she hated Ivy Robinson.

She acted like she was doing her history homework and not watching Ivy draw out of the corner of her eye.

Ivy’s pencil danced across the paper, as if it didn’t know where it was going, but it didn’t care.

Nadia smiled to herself as she absentmindedly turned her textbook page.

She stopped herself.

Her face returned to its normal scowl and she tried to write some words on her paper, but her mind was as blank as the sheet in front of her.

She leaned back in her chair, sighing and rubbing her temples.

She couldn’t think straight - especially not around Ivy.

She gathered up her things and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” Ivy said, sending a jolt of energy down Nadia’s spine.

“Library,” Nadia said quickly, opening the door.

“Um, can I… can I ask you something?” Ivy asked, her voice strangely nervous and uncertain.

“What is it?” Nadia replied, rolling her eyes.

“Does…” Ivy sighed and set her sketchbook on her bedside table. “Does Jason ever… talk about me?”

Nadia breathed out a short laugh.

“Forget it, it was a dumb question anyway,” Ivy said, her face bright red.

“Well…” Nadia began, trying to think of something to say, “he does talk about you sometimes.”

“Really?” Ivy asked, her eyes lighting up.

He absolutely did not, Nadia knew that he only thought of Ivy as a friend, but the way Ivy’s eyes lit up and the way she smiled so wide… Nadia couldn’t help but want to make her do it again.

“Yeah,” Nadia said, nodding.

“What did he say about me?”

“Uh… he thinks you’re… awesome,” Nadia said, with an attempt at a smile.

“If you’re just kidding, I don’t think it’s very funny,” Ivy said, glaring steely at Nadia.

“I’m not! When have I ever made a joke at your expense?”

Ivy sighed and fiddled with her pencil.

“Just go, Nadia. It’ll do you some good to go for a walk.”

Nadia flinched at the words.

“Fine. You don’t need to add my brother to your endless list of exes anyway.”

Ivy didn’t flinch. She never did, Nadia noticed. She took the insults in her stride and let them roll off of her, instead of internalising them and letting them all come out at night like Nadia did.

Nadia would give anything to be like her.

“He…” Nadia began, failing to hide her nervousness. “He likes your smile. He said it was sort of… I don’t know, sort of like the stars. Shining and radiant and… shit like that.”

The room filled with a thick silence, an unfamiliar tension in the air.

“Forget it, he made me promise not to tell, I’ll just-”

“No! No! It’s… it’s fine. Did he… mention anything else?”

“A-about you?” Nadia said, sweat pricking at her forehead.

Ivy nods eagerly, smiling shinily and radiantly and shittily like that.

Nadia was trapped in a very small web and very unconvincing lies, and she didn’t think she wanted to escape.

“Well, he really likes your… your art. He thinks it’s really pretty - uh, I mean, pretty cool how you… how you use colours and… lines?”

Ivy giggled, her eyes scrunching shut and her nose wrinkling.

Nadia nearly fainted on the spot.

“He loves your laugh, he loves making you laugh,” Nadia continued. “And he thinks you’re amazing on stage - he wishes that you and him could have more rehearsals together, just to hang out with you.”

Nadia let herself get swept up in the lie, she let herself smile and she let herself say things she never thought she could ever say.

“Why didn’t he tell me all this?” Ivy asked.

“Well… he was scared. Scared that you would think he was weird for liking you. Or that you wouldn’t like him back,” Nadia said, messing with the cuff of her sleeve. “He didn’t want you to know.”

“Oh my God…” Ivy whispered.

She ran a hand through her hair and got up, suddenly standing so close to Nadia.

“What are you doing?” Nadia blurted out, taking a step back, scared to touch her, to be close to her, to be in the same wavelength as her.

“I’m going to see Jason, to work on our lines,” Ivy said, grabbing her copy of the script - highlighted with a hot pink highlighter, the exact same shade as Ivy’s lips.

Nadia felt herself deflate, as if someone had pulled the cord on her happiness.

“Use protection,” Nadia said sharply, sitting back down at her desk.

Ivy scoffed and left the room, slamming the door shut.

Nadia let out a groan and face planted onto the desk.

Why did she think she could do that? How did she think she could do that?

She could never be with Ivy Robinson, she couldn’t even be friends with Ivy Robinson - it would take a miracle or a disaster for that to happen.

Nadia picked up her copy of Romeo and Juliet and tried to imagine Romea and Juliet, standing on stage as equals.

Equally the stars of the show, equally applauded, equally in love with each other.

Nadia shook the idea out of her head and opened her history book again, letting herself get lost in a world where she didn’t have to deal with her feelings.

A perfect world, in Nadia’s opinion.


End file.
